In a chat Thursday afternoon at the Trib's website, Dejan Kovacevic writes that, despite predictions from several national analysts that the Pirates will choose Arizona State shortstop Deven Marrero with the No. 8 overall pick in the upcoming MLB Draft, the Bucs will look elsewhere.
I don't have a firm name yet. The only thing I can share that I've heard all week is that this shortstop everyone is assigning to be the Pirates' choice -- Deven Marrero -- it WON'T be him. If the Pirates are going to get a bat, they're going to get a bat-first prospect. Marrero isn't that.
Kovacevic is a local guy and a good source for Pirates news, so I assume he knows what's he's talking about here. Also, the national analysts were almost unanimous last week in projecting the Pirates would take Marrero, but they seem to have eased up recently, pointing to other potential targets, like Max Fried, Albert Almora, Chris Stratton and Mike Zunino. It sounds like Pirates fans, who nearly unanimously don't want their team picking a defense-first shortstop, might be able to breathe a little easier.
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